No Low Ballers?

dej(Jed) · Feb 16, 2012

I see that on ads, so much anymore I am wondering what exactly that means? Okay so a guy is selling his Oliver 1250 gasoline tractor. It runs well, but idles fast and it needs a rear tube. He states that he wants $2000 obo
and he adds Don't Low Ball me? Doesn't (or best offer) mean just that-make me an offer? Opinions please?

rrlund · Feb 16, 2012

First opinion is,if that 1250 is a 4 cylinder,he's $1800 too high anyway.

Too Far Gone · Feb 16, 2012

It means he might consider taking a $1750 cash offer,but he'll tell you to get lost if you make a 1200-1500 dollar offer

Dodgeit · Feb 16, 2012

(quoted from post at 12:53:39 02/16/12) I see that on ads, so much anymore I am wondering what exactly that means? Okay so a guy is selling his Oliver 1250 gasoline tractor. It runs well, but idles fast and it needs a rear tube. He states that he wants $2000 obo
and he adds Don't Low Ball me? Doesn't (or best offer) mean just that-make me an offer? Opinions please?

Well in these troubled times, there are people wanting to sell things that are still bubble priced. They still want what was being paid when everyone was flush with cash from home equity loans. Now that the bubbles have burst, prices have dropped if they want to sell, and people are only offering .50 cent a pound for something that will bring $1.00 per pound at the scrap yard. Ergo no low balls please being added to for sale adds. Or in laymens terms why would I sell it to you for half what the scrap yard will pay my for it.

dej(Jed) · Feb 16, 2012

(quoted from post at 11:14:21 02/16/12)

(quoted from post at 12:53:39 02/16/12) I see that on ads, so much anymore I am wondering what exactly that means? Okay so a guy is selling his Oliver 1250 gasoline tractor. It runs well, but idles fast and it needs a rear tube. He states that he wants $2000 obo
and he adds Don't Low Ball me? Doesn't (or best offer) mean just that-make me an offer? Opinions please?

Click to expand...

Well in these troubled times, there are people wanting to sell things that are still bubble priced. They still want what was being paid when everyone was flush with cash from home equity loans. Now that the bubbles have burst, prices have dropped if they want to sell, and people are only offering .50 cent a pound for something that will bring $1.00 per pound at the scrap yard. Ergo no low balls please being added to for sale adds. Or in laymens terms why would I sell it to you for half what the scrap yard will pay my for it.

That being said, I offered several people 25% over the going scrap rate and that doesn't seem to work. They have Farmall H's that according to them weigh 4 tons, etc. A 1250 Oliver with a Fiat gasoline engine is nothing but a headache looking for a place to happen. LOL

pete 23 · Feb 16, 2012

Around here it means he wants what he is asking, no less, but if more than one wants it, best offer gets it. I think it is a poor way to advertise something for sale.

RodinNS · Feb 16, 2012

Basically... what it means is the guy is nowhere in the spectrum of reality in terms of what the thing is worth, doesn't want to be told what it's worth.... and you're wasting YOUR time talking to him.
Sometimes I call them just to pi$s them off.

Rod

Mike (WA) · Feb 16, 2012

Most folks who don't like "lowball" offers start to get offended around 20% off, in my experience- so if your going to offer less than $1,600, he'll probably start yelling.

Which is especially problematic with his item- asking over a grand for a 1250 Fiat Oliver gas borders on criminal. The diesels were OK, but the gas used an Italian POS war surplus engine for which virtually no parts are available

J.Wondergem · Feb 16, 2012

I usually don't even both with ads that read like that. I figure something is the matter with it and he don't want to be reminded of it.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 16, 2012

Offer what you think it's worth the worst that can happen is they say "NO" all you're out is your time. They're out the sale and your money.

dhermesc · Feb 16, 2012

You noticed that too?

Usually its a guy with a rusted out car that's been sitting in the weeds for years and he's finally given to peer pressure and has agreed to sell it for 10 times its value.

I saw a 1966 Mustang fastback that I thought I wanted to buy. I got a close look, the seat mounts had broke though the floor, the floors were rusted though to the point only Barney Rubble would have gotten behind the wheel. The doors sagged because their mounts were mostly rusted through, the leaf springs had punched through the trunk. It would kind of start but couldn't move (no oil in the transmission). Every window was broken, and a dog had been living in the car for a while. $5000 no less. That was 14 years ago and its still sitting where I looked at it.

Goose · Feb 16, 2012

A "Low Ball" is like the time I listed a car for sale on Craigslist. Kelly Bluebook retail was $4400 and I listed it for $3995.

Some guy emailed me and told me when I got my price down to $2500 to call him. That was a lowball offer.

Bobl1958 · Feb 16, 2012

I'm going to assume he means he is asking $2000, but might take less. But if you offer $100 you are probably going to make him mad. As to the posts below, taking into account the tractors and eqt I have sold over the years, for every ten pieces that I sell, there is always one person that offers some ridiculous low offer. All they have done is waste both of our time. Also, there are a lot of people that don't really want something, they just would take it if they could get it for nothing. Especially since the internet has come into play where you don't actually have to talk to someone in person. It's easy to offer a lower than lowball offer, and not have to worry about the guy popping you the minute you get it out.
The other side of it is, sometimes it works and you get something really cheap. I would guess, that maybe the guy doesn't want his time wasted and is saying, "don't offer a stupid low offer"
Of course, then there are the replies below. Bob

Old Bob · Feb 16, 2012

When I have something for sale and someone comes to look, I always want them to tell me what they are thinking. Someone might think that $50 less is lowballing and not make an offer. All they have to do is say no if they don't like the offer.

RGMartin · Feb 16, 2012

I just sent him an offer for scrap value...

Mike M · Feb 16, 2012

Maybe they are like the guy I had a run in with his ad said $$ OBO. I ran right up and looked at it had the truck and trailer too. Cash in truck and I was going to give him his asking price no problem. Well that's when I found out his idea of best offer was over what he was asking !!!! Well he then would not put a dollar amount on what it would take to buy it ! I went home called him the next day and played his game back and forth a couple of times. He had someone else on the hook too. I finally quit playing this game and told him off that if he wanted to run an auction to just advertise it as such and also made sure he knew I helped him get alot more money for it from the other guy who susposedly took it.

old · Feb 16, 2012

I have seen that also and a lot of times it is a case where the guy has gotten offers that are at or below scarp price. I had that happen to me not long ago when I was selling a truck I kept getting offers that where half what I was asking and that to me was low balling

Cow · Feb 16, 2012

When I sell something, I figure out what I think I can sell it for and add a little bit. I also decide before even listing what my bottom dollar is. I base this on what similar/the same items are listing for and actually selling for. Hint e at lets you view completed auctions.

So I list it for sale and the first dude who comes along and meets my price gets it.

I buy pretty much the same way. I hate haggling, I just want to make a fair deal at a fair price and be done with it.

Traditional Farmer · Feb 16, 2012

Its code for "Don't offer me what its really worth"

rrlund · Feb 16, 2012

Like Frank and Mike say on "Pickers",he's willing to give third cousin price,but not first cousin price.

Jordan Bergsma · Feb 16, 2012

I had my snowmobile for sale a while back, listed for $600. I kept getting offers for 2-300. That is a lowball. The offers of 450-500 are what I meant when I said OBO. There's a huge difference between an offer and a lowball. The worst was someone who offered a hundred bucks if I would deliver it an hour and a half away.

S.Crum · Feb 16, 2012

Just this past weekend I told a guy to hit the road. I have a set of 4 brand new Cooper 235/75/R15 truck tires with less than 250 miles on them (I can prove it). Mounted on Factory Ford alloy wheels. I put these on Craigslist for $400 (what I have in the tires alone). Had several "will you sell for less" e-mails and this guy actually came down and looked at them. He pulls out 2 $100 bills and say's 'I'll take them'! I told him you can take them when you come up with a total of 4 of those $100 bills. He say's F-you I won't give you more than $200 for them. I told him he really should get in his truck and scram before I whistle for the dogs.
So in the end, I ordered a set of 4 new wheel adapters off Fleabay so I can put these wheels and new tires on my 97' F-150 (best price I could find for new tires for that is $130.00 each).

farmer boy · Feb 16, 2012

OBO means make me a fair offer. Offering half of what's he's asking is low balling. I draw the line about 25%. After that you risk really offending the guy. If you want the item, that's not how you go about trying to get it. The ones that get me are the guys that list $1000 above what it's worth and tell you it's firm, no offers. It really seems like they don't want to sell. There are also those that list a fair price and tell you it's firm. I can see where they're coming from with that. If you want it, here's the price, I'm not playing the barter game.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 16, 2012

He don't like old guys...
Do your...

flying belgian · Feb 16, 2012

How can you call them brand new if they have 250 miles on them? Not what I think of when I hear brand new.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 17, 2012

He may mean "or better offer" which says $2000 is the lowest.Sometimes it is written in full."Don't low ball me" seems to me the reserve is 2 grand.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 17, 2012

Hard to tell from one person to another... I hate negotiable or OBO... If I call or email about something, I say straight out that I'm not a haggler and ask what thier last word on price is. If I think it's right, I'll go and expect to pay that price unless the item is worse than I expected or was advertised. If I have something for sale, either the price is straight out with no room to jabber or put on ebay.....
Had someone show p once to look at something for 500 bucks. Wasted almost 2 hours of my time and then offered 100..... Ran him off, took pics, put it on ebay and sold for 700...........

S.Crum · Feb 17, 2012

So you must be in the class of a "low baller"? If they don't have the sticker on the tread they're worth less than 1/2 what was originally paid for them even if they are 2 weeks old? Get real.

wisbaker · Feb 17, 2012

I can't under stand the people that get upset if you offer less than scrap price. "well I can get more for that at a junk yard", fine load it up on a truck buy fuel and haul it to a junk yard, when your done after expenses you'll have less than scrap in your pocket and a couple hours of time invested. These jerks expect you to work for free but they won't.

No Low Ballers?

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